


Snippets from an original work

by andicanthelpfallinginlovewithyou



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy setting, Gen, Multi, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Works - Freeform, Trans Character, but the more i look at it the more i hate it so, dragons and merfolk and trolls oh my, dystopian settings too, enjoy the stuff i love too much to delete and the tropes you’ll have to pry out of my cold gay hands, featuring nonbinaries and bisexuals and other people i love, working title is A Broken Melody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-09-27 19:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17167850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andicanthelpfallinginlovewithyou/pseuds/andicanthelpfallinginlovewithyou
Summary: I need somewhere to archive some scenes that probably won’t make the final cut in the manuscript, so i decided to see what y’all think about my writing when its with my own characters, original plot, etc. Worldbuilding, dialogue, and character studies will all feature heavily, probably from multiple works-in-progressConstructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!





	1. Chapter 1

“How many times have you lied to me?”

Jana was crying. Ayse hated seeing her cry. A beauty like her should always be smiling. 

Ayse smiled, even through the pain, and gripped her hand. Her two little ones had cried themselves to sleep, and, fitfully curled against her, they looked like little possums. “Only three times, love.” 

She thought about rekindling the age-old discussion, as to what constituted a lie, and thought better of it. 

Jana wiped her eyes, kissed her knuckles. “Tell me one more.” 

Tears made her cheeks ache. She hated crying. There was no release worth the feeling of dried tears on your skin. 

“Just one more, Ayse? Please?” 

_It doesn’t hurt._

_I won’t be long._

_I’ll see you soon._

Ayse bit her lip, and patted her wife’s cheek. “It’ll all be okay. I promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

Hopkins smiled, gesturing to the expensive oak table. “Please, sit down. I’ll wait on you tonight.” 

Still distrustful, X sat down at the table, rapping her knuckles three times. 

He held a bottle of something dark. “Wine?” 

She shook her head. “I don’t care for liquor.” 

“Suit yourself. So, what adventures did you get up to today?” 

She crossed her arms, only allowing a small portion of fish to grace her plate. She was used to eating insubstantially, and twelve hours was nothing. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could leave. 

“Very well. I imagine it was filled with wondrous photos, at least.” He was about to dig in, but he paused. “Ah. How rude. Here.” He fished an envelope out of his pocket and set it before her plate. “That’s for all your hard work.” 

She couldn’t resist her curiosity and snatched it up, ripping open the end and tipping a wad of bills into her palm. 

She looked up to him. He looked exceedingly proud of himself, as if it had taken some great talent to pay her. “Money?” 

“Mm. There’s fifteen hundred there, but you can count it yourself if you wish-“

She stopped listening, having conjured the lighter she had traded four woollen socks for, holding the flame under the stack of bills. She tossed the flaming stack onto the table, searing the wood. She sat back and watched it burn down to ashes, deeply pleased with herself. 

Hopkins raised one eyebrow. “No use for it?” 

“Underworlders use trade and barter, anyone can tell you that. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and protection from state attacks. Anything I want, I can trade for.” She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “In fact, an Elite paying for services rendered to them with money of any kind is a great insult to the vendor. I’m sure Louise was too polite to tell you that.” 

He coughed, and tugged on his collar. “That’s none of your business,” he said tightly. 

“It’s Louise’s business. And she can tell who she damn well pleases. If you wanted discretion, you should gone to an Elite for a lay.” She stood, dropping her napkin on her plate. “I’m finished. Don’t expect me back before midnight tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria, also known as X, is a vigilante photographer in a dystopian american city. Photography falls under the label of illegal documentation, and among other artforms requires extensive and costly registration in order to legally document. If an unregistered person (most often an Underworlder) is found carrying anything that would suggest illegal activity, they will be punished severely and without mercy. X, however, has been hired to provide photography for one of the Elites, in exchange for room and board while she secretly aides the underground revolution.
> 
> Society is carved into two groups: the very, very rich and the very, very poor. The Elite have access to the best food, housing, and amenitities, while the Underworlders struggle in the larger portions of the city. The Underworlders rely on trade and barter, having no use for Elite money. Elite money can’t buy anything in the Underworld.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ama has a near-relapse. 
> 
> TW, there is mention if an alcohol addiction in this snippet, but it’s not graphic and you only see the prefacing panic, no actual relapse on screen or in the story. 
> 
> Otherwise, this is a snippet about Icarus helping his sister through a Bad Time.

Ama whimpered, clutching her head. The walls seemed to close in on her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All she could discern from the shambling mass battering her from every side was the bone-deep need for wine. 

She tore through the cupboards, searching for a lost bottle that must have been collecting dust all these years, surely Ike hadn’t thrown them all out-

“Ama,” someone said, and it was too loud-

“Ama, please, take a breath.” 

Had she been holding her breath? Her chest felt tight, and she exhaled sharply, followed by a raw inhale. Hands grasped hers, and she latched onto them, solid anchors in the middle of her mind’s storm, and-

“Ama, you’re hurting me.” 

She jerked away. Her fingers ached from clenching, and she could see dark fingerprints on Ike’s wrists. “I’m sorry.” 

He enveloped her in a soft hug. Ike’s hugs were the best kind. “It’s okay, Ama. Just breathe. Can you do that for me?” 

Shakily, she did as she was told. It seemed to make her less trembly. “O-Okay.” 

“You’re doing great, Ama. Just breathe in, and out. Why do you need it?” 

“I-I need something to sting. I need something to hurt.” To dull it all, to make her forget-

“Tell you what, I’ll make you some tea, and after we’ve sat down and had a little happy hour, ask yourself again if you still need it.” 

She nodded, and stumbled to the kitchen table. A teacup was set before her, and she drank mechanically. 

She stiffened, and her hands stung as the tea splashed over her knuckles. “Where’s Nike?” 

A hand touched her shoulder, encouraging her to sit. “I asked Chandra to take her for a walk. She’s safe.” 

She nodded, and kept drinking. That made sense. She never wanted Nike to know about what almost happened, how she almost lost herself. She already knew the broad strokes of her and Hestia and Ike’s childhood, but for some reason the want for wine that thrummed deep in her bones made her more ashamed, made her feel guilty for something that wasn’t her fault.

“You’re crying.” 

She was, wasn’t she? She wiped away the tears. None of it felt real, it felt like she was a sneeze or cough away from it all melting away. Like something terrible had happened, and her thoughts were having her sleep just a little longer, before she had to face the world. 

“Ike, did something happen?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I feel like I did when I lost him. Did something happen?” Her choked sob was muffled. “Is- Hestia, is she-“ 

“Hestia’s fine, Ama, she’s a caravan ride away. She’s safe, she’s happy, she’s okay.” 

“Oh.” She looked down. She couldn’t stop trembling. 

Ike pursed his lips and stood, taking her hand. “I think you should take a nap.” 

“I-“ What? “I need to see my baby. I’ll sleep after.”

“Tell you what, Ama. I’ll stay by you, so you can fall asleep, and as soon as Nike gets home, I’ll have her join you. How does that sound?” 

“O-Okay.” 

-

As he was tucking her into bed, she started crying again. “I’m sorry I didn’t name her Euthenia.” 

He paused, and laughed. “Why do you apologize?” 

“Because I chose Hestia’s over yours, and it doesn’t seem fair.” 

“She’s always been the alpha twin, Ama. Even before you, she’d boss me around all day. And if it all hadn’t happened, she would be called Alala. I know my suggestion wasn’t on the table. I’m glad. She’s not really a Euthenia.” 

“I suppose.” She curled on her side, how she used to sleep when she was carrying Nike around. “You know, I wish she had been Alala.” 

“Mm. I do too.” 

She wrinkled her nose. “You didn’t like him.” Her twins never liked Váli. Thought he was too much of a jokester, thought he tried too hard to impress them. She hadn’t known how to make them see how he looked at flowers and insects and rocks with such wonder, as if he was unravelling the secrets of the universe, right then and there. Right in the middle of their picnic, even.

“Hestia didn’t like him. I trusted her judgement. Even when entirely unfounded.” 

“Yeah, no shit.” She yawned and curled tighter. She cracked one eye open. “Stay.” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed her hand, squishing it between his palms, like he used to do when she was little. 

She sighed, and tried to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ama, nee Amaryllis, is the younger sister to Hestia and Icarus. She has one child, a girl named Nike, whom she planned to raise with her intended, Prince Váli of Skaginn, son of Jana and Ayse. However, Váli was killed in a violent takeover by the Baron of Wallshelm, Nicholas the Wolf King. 
> 
> Three names were suggested in the time before Nike’s birth, for her public name. Ama’s sister, Hestia, suggested Nike, the patron of survivors, in hopes that the baby would grow up strong and unyielding, even in the face of great adversity, like she had to as the eldest daughter. Her brother, Icarus, suggested Euthenia, the spirit of prosperity, in hopes it would bring about wealth and comfort for his niece, moreso than what they had, growing up. Ama suggested Alala, the spirit of the war-cry, to honour Váli’s fallen mother Ayse Falcon-Eye, Whose war cries are said to rouse even the most frightened of warriors.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaf’s first few days as part of the royal family, through aer family’s eyes.

The child wasn’t one for talking, it seemed. Ae could certainly scream, but now that ae had settled, ae was silent, sitting beside her on the wagon bench and clinging to whatever aer little hands could grasp. Ae clung to her sleeve now, staring straight ahead with a semi-permanent tilt to aer head.

“Do you have a name?” she asked, urging the horses onward. “Shake your head side to side for no, up and down for yes.” 

After a moment, ae slowly shook aer head. 

“Oh, dear. You’ll need one, soon.” She looked down and smiled at aer. Aer blank expression didn’t change. “My son’s name is Váli Kofi Nyamékye. Would you like a name like that?” 

Ae nodded slowly. 

“Hm. I can’t give you all of it; your mama needs to give you the first part, I think, but the next two I can give you. Now, listen carefully, and tap me when you hear the month you were born in. Ready?” 

As it turned out, ae had almost same date of birth as Váli, and wasn’t that eerie. “So, you like   
Kwábena?” 

Ae nodded hard enough to dizzy aerself. 

“That’s good. And now we need a second name. I think I have the perfect one in mind.” She smiled fondly, watching how aer little fists rhythmically clenched and unclenched. Ae clung to her like a baby elephant. “How about Sono?” 

Ae nodded so hard that ae almost fell off the horse. Jana laughed, steadying aer gently with a hand on aer back. “Perfect, Sono it is.” 

-

Ayse knelt down to little Sono’s level, one eyebrow raised. Sono stared back, eyes boring straight into her. She couldn’t find it in herself to be anything but exuberant; little Sono was already worming aer way into her heart, even if ae looked absolutely miserable with aer ratty clothes.

“Hello, 

Ae didn’t respond, mouth slightly open. It looked like ae had a runny nose. Ae did blink slowly, and held out aer hands expectantly.

After a moment, she placed her hand between aers. Ae gently squeezed, eyes wide and attempting to read her face as ae applied aer slight pressure. She smiled wider and squeezed aer back, squishing one of aer little hands between her own.

Sono squealed with laughter and darted to her side, leaning aer weight against her. Aer laughter sounded a little strangled, as if ae was scared to laugh too hard. 

-

It was another two days before Sono said aer first word in front of them, when ae was walking with Váli in the courtyard. 

Ae halted, and pointed at a fallen leaf excitedly. “Leaf!” After a moment, ae cradled aer cheeks happily and echoed the word to aerself, rocking on aer feet. 

Váli gasped delightedly and dragged aer into the main hall, where Maame was conducting a council meeting. Her eyebrows went up as he slammed inside, Sono dragged along by the wrist as Váli trudged past the noblemen. He pulled aer beside him, before Maame, and turned to 

“Say what you said in the courtyard.” 

Poor Sono just looked confused, and he felt a little bad. “Leaf?” 

Maame raised one eyebrow, a patient smile tugging at her lips. “Leaf? _Blad?_ ”

“Leaf,” ae repeated, decisively. “Leaf.” After a moment, ae bounded up to her and yanked on her long, trailing sleeve, pointed at aer chest. “Leaf!” 

“Is that your name?” 

Ae nodded so hard that he feared for aer brain. 

Maame laughed, sweeping aer into her arms. Ae seemed mostly confused at being picked up, rather than upset. “Leaf Kwábena Sono, what a wonderful discovery!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaf is autistic, as much as I could represent that with the limited terminology of this genre. Throughout the story, ae is known to have ‘a mind spun from different silk,’ ‘a changeling’s nature,’ plus a direct name for it in Draconic, Ólíkr. 
> 
> Jana is descended from Ghana, called Efie in this narrative, Ayse is Turkish-Scandinavia, and Váli is their biological son. In some of the cultures surrounding the medditerranean sea of this story, firstborn children are named for mythological/religious figures, to show thanks for blessing them with their first child, and secondborn are named for natural things, like flowers, plants, other growing things, as it is the will of nature that allows their second child. 
> 
> In Jana’s culture, one either names their children after people they admire, or for the circumstances in which they were born. For example, Váli’s third name means ‘born after long childlessness’ (i could be wrong on this, and if I am feel free to tell me) and Leaf’s third name means ‘elephant’ (again, I could be wrong, feel free to tell me if I am). Jana’s third name, Nyaméama, means ‘born sickly’.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chandra runs her first council meeting, after the forceful ousting of the tyrant king Nicholas.

Chandra resisted the urge to bang her head against a table. When she said she’d handle the brunt of the work for the first few weeks, until Nike grew accustomed to her place on the throne, she hadn’t realized just how _annoying_ merchants were. 

“With all due respect, Miss Chandra, I cannot work like this. Allowing raffle like Greensworth to occupy the same market as us honest folk, well, it’s almost unbelievable! He’s a liar and a cheat!” 

She rubbed her eye. She longed to be watching over Leaf, even if ae hadn’t shown any signs of life in the two weeks ae had been comatose, and nothing interesting happened when she was with aer. “And I have already told you that the market is a place free of unnecessary ruling influence. The council will only step in when rights are being infringed upon.” 

He grew red. “Why are you even here? Why isn’t the new queen holding court?” 

“She is ensuring that last of Jana’s children doesn’t perish, sir. If you have a better use for her time, I encourage you to take it up with her.” 

“Well- well- Maybe I will!” 

“Be warned, she is within her rights to protect her estate from trespassers.” She stood and closed her ledger. “Adjourned. Next!”

The next person to enter the hall was a familiar face, at least. Ama walked briskly with a bowl of steaming food in her hands. She set the bowl on her desk, idly blowing on her fingers as she looked over the papers littering her desk.

“I don’t know about you, but I think this is all awfully boring.”

“The boring things are always vitally important, I’ve found.” Chandra picked at the rice stew, not very hungry for worry. “How is ae?”

“No change. Ae mutters in aer sleep, did you know? I’ve counted four languages so far, maybe five. I’ve never met someone who actually speaks Gaelisk.”

“Ae’s always been one for languages.” She had to wonder where the hell ae had picked up Gaelisk. Caledonia was a private and secluded country, after all. “And aer dragon friend?”

“Does not care for human food. Nike’s dying to be her friend, but I don’t think there’s time before she had to leave with Kore.”

Chandra sighed, letting her head fall against the desk. “What a mess. Please tell me Linh and Hasan will be back soon.”

“Another two weeks.”

She groaned loudly, mingling with Ama’s bell-like laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eidolon and the Vísi meet properly. The Starry Spectre is not impressed with the young prince.

The Eidolon hissed, ankle busted from the lucky hit the guard had landed, not that it had been worth it. He had caught them unawares, he wasn’t even doing anything, but he decided that they had business on account that they had cut one or five of his buddies. They pulled themself out of the noble district, distinctly angry with themself for letting him get the drop on them. No more looking for rotten guards tonight, they supposed. 

They managed three blocks before their ankle buckled, roaring with pain. They slumped against the butcher’s store front and slid down to the ground, promising themself to clean their cloak later. If the Eidolon had a dirty cloak, the sentries might just stop being afraid of them. 

The Eidolon reached up and shakily pulled the mask down from their face, and became Amaryllis once more. She huffed out pained breaths as she attempted to move her ankle, but it seemed that she would be stuck there until it stopped screaming. 

Footsteps approaching, and she was immobile. With a sigh, she pulled her mask back over her face and readied herself for a beating. 

“Eidolon?” 

Her head snapped towards the voice, one familiar: the Sovereign’s son, the Vísi of Skaginn. She forced herself not to sigh; as much as she hated everything these nobles stood for, power and money and every other pointless status symbol, she couldn’t help but not hate him. He was kind, a bit naive, but who wasn’t? She was thirteen, he was twelve; she had no room to judge. She would reserve that privilege for when he ascended to the throne and proved her suspicions right.

The Vísi approached slowly, like she was some kind of feral cat. “You’re hurt.” 

“Fuck off.” She spat, for good measure. He didn’t seem fazed. 

“Some of the guards are coming to me for medical assistance,” he continued. “They think I won’t tell the Sovereign, if they threaten me enough. What’s on your knife?” 

The poison was one that ate away stitches, forcing the wound to scar. The guards wore their helmets to hide their faces, when they bullied and terrorized the subjects, so she cut them where they couldn’t wear their helmets to hide the fresh wounds. 

“Leave me alone.” 

He paused. “Please, Eidolon, you’re hurt. Will you let me help you?” 

She weighed her options, and kept her knife handy, just in case he proved her right earlier than planned. “Only if you leave me be after you’re done.” 

“Fine.” He knelt by her feet, pulling her injured foot into his lap. She hissed as he pressed a cold cloth against her ankle. “Sorry, sorry, should have warned you.” His other hand was crushing something in one of his bowls, mush that looked about as disgusting as it smelled. “Why do some guards have two cuts, instead of one?” 

“I don’t have to explain anything to you.” 

“Fair enough.” She hissed again. He gently set down her foot and held the bowl out for her. “This will speed up the healing.” 

She stared at the pungent concoction with some measure of disgust. He was probably trying to poison her. 

“It’s safe,” he assured her, dipping his finger into the paste and sticking it in his mouth. He couldn’t conceal the face one made when forced to eat something disgusting, but he did swallow it, opening his mouth wide to prove that it wasn’t hiding under his tongue. “See?” 

There were any number of things he could have done to prevent poisoning himself, but for some reason she didn’t think he was lying. Before she could convince herself not to, she scooped the paste onto her fingers and jammed it into her mouth. It was indescribably terrible, but no worse than the tea Hestia made her and Ike drink when they were sick. 

He smiled crookedly, and if she thought he was very slightly adorable, that was her business. “The council is in a frenzy. They’re trying to find you, and when they do, they’ll punish you. I can’t guarantee they won’t kill you.” 

And she was having such a nice time. “Not your concern. Go on an live your princely life, Vísi. Think of me when you become Sovereign, think of the Eidolon every time you drink fine western wine while your people are close to starvation every day. Think of the Eidolon when you feed your armies with people who’d rather tote around swords than help people.” She forced herself to stand, and bite down a scream. “You’ve healed me. Now leave.” 

He nodded, slowly gathering up his wares and stowing them away in his bag. He nodded at her before turning around and heading back towards the castle-road.

She weighed her choices, chewing on her lip. She didn’t think he’d be attacked. The guards would have to be insane, and she decided that he probably wouldn’t lie to protect a corrupt guard, even if he thought they deserved a second chance. Probably. 

Her leg was screaming by the time she saw him safely back to the castle, and she turned around and limped back to the house. Dawn turned the sky grey by the time she managed to crawl through her window, wincing and cursing as she dragged herself into bed, where she stayed for the better part of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Váli Kofi Nyamékye is the son of Jana and Ayse, the Vísi of Skaginn. He is young and bright for his age, and loves a good story. He was born seven years after Jana took the throne, and will be one of the kingdom’s champions. His kingdom has a corruption problem, which his mother is working to rectify, but it’s slow going. 
> 
> Enter the Eidolon, a fairy tale of old that tells of a figure descending from the heavens to deliver the decree of the stars, often described as the night sky personified, the north star emblazoned on their chest. The Eidolon is a remnant of the old days, the perfect alias for Amaryllis Weaver, a young girl sick to death of the guards that bully her and all citizens of a certain social standing. At night, she prowls the streets and ensures that her people are safe from corrupt authorities. 
> 
> Basically, Ama and Váli meet for the first time, but Váli doesn’t know it. Later on, they begin their courtship and Ama falls pregnant, and is unable to carry the Eidolon’s mantle while she has other things on her mind. After Váli is killed, she surrenders the mantle for good, focussing on her newborn and keeping little Nike alive in a regime that will surely call for her head, should they ever find the truth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaf’s nature, according to an outside perspective.

Boredom had no place in the Blue Palace, and yet Anais was terribly distracted. 

She did her best to keep her spine straight and to look attentive, but she could afford to daydream. The trade agreement was furs for iron, and her father and the Sovereign of Skaginn would eventually cone to a compromise that satisfied no one, and then they would sign a trade agreement that would be revisited once Sovereign’s replacement was selected, to be signed by her own hand and the reigning champion’s in a show of good faith and longevity. 

She stared at the wall, trying to decide what colour to repaint it, once she was in power. Periwinkle, or violet?

Prince Váli — the Vísi, as he preferred to be called, or just by his name — caught her eye and winked, before turning his attention back to the proceedings. For a brief moment she envied his ability to care. Just as quickly, she decided not to care about this either. 

The Princex Leaf was making no moves to disguise aer preoccupation. Ae had stifled three yawns in as many minutes, and constantly shifting in aer seat, casting aer baleful gaze around the room. She gritted her teeth as she watched aer fiddle with a string on her fingers, weaving spiderwebs and ladders and hammocks without looking. 

Siobhan elbowed her. “Problem?” she asked, whispered Gaelic that few people outside of Caledonia knew. Perfect for private conversations.  
She subtly jerked her chin to the princex. “See the insolent princex? How can we respect Skaginn’s Sovereign when her own child falls to distraction so easily?”

“Distraction is not what it seems,” a new voice said mildly, loudly enough to be heard over the rising voices that the adults were indulging in. Anais felt her insides melting as she tracked the voice to Leaf aerself, staring down at aer string game, foot rhythmically. 

The entire court ground to a halt. The Sovereign looked back, fixing her child with a curious stare. “Is something wrong, 

“Nothing, Sovereign, I was thinking out loud. Please, don’t let me interrupt the proceedings.

The Sovereign fixed aer wth a piercing stare, but eventually turned back to the negotiations. “Right. How much for ore?”

**Author's Note:**

> Jana and Ayse had their first child when Ayse was twenty-two and Jana was twenty-one, a boy named Váli, and adopted their second child five years later, named Leaf, same age as Váli.


End file.
